Range of Friendship
by ScarletDeva
Summary: Rangers contemplate friendships and each other. *WIP's: Rocky, by Evenstar120. Jason, by Girl in the Red Jacket. Adam, by Panache. Zack, by Black Dragon.
1. Kim, by: ScarletDeva

Dear Diary,  
  
It's been three months since Trini left and I have been thinking about her a lot. About the many ways in which we're different. About the many ways in which we are so much the same that it scares me. Mostly about the different stuff though. She has so much faith in the world, so much belief in honor and justice. I admire her, except when her rosey-eyed optimism makes me want to strange her.  
  
Aisha and I are different too. She takes the world on with so much more bravery that I can ever aspire to. Then again, she tends to think that the ends often justify the means. I can't do that, not struggling with my own moral dilemmas.  
  
And hey, sometimes the differences make my friends more alike than it seems. Tri and Sha have such opposite views that it seems that they could never agree. Yet, when it comes down to it, they can respect each other for holding such firm views. And that respect may be something I will never get because I put myself right in the middle, straddling the fence, taking each situation on a case-by-case basis.  
  
I suspect now that I will never have anyone who I will see 100% eye to eye with. And maybe that's ok. Maybe that's what makes it worth it. That knowledge that you can argue over any little or big thing and still hold hands as you walk on the hot coals of life, together.  
  
So in the end, I'm forced to wonder whether any of that stuff matters. The bottom line is always the same. human life is precious and our friendships can never be broken.  
  
Forever love,  
  
Kimberly Ann Hart. 


	2. Billy, by: TKStyles

Journal Entry 1232

  
  


It has crossed my mind that I have not written a new entry in about four months; my "other life" has begun to make it increasingly harder to do so. Much has happened during those four months: Three of my oldest friends left and I gained three more in their place. I find myself thinking over my relationships with my friends, both old and new. Zack was always full of energy and never seen without a smile. He always went out of his way to cheer me and any of his friends up. I will miss his carefreeness and sense of humor. Then there is Jason, my oldest friend. He will definitely be missed; he became like the bigger brother I never had. Trini, what can I say about her. She was the first person to truly understand me. We share a closeness that leaves many people outside of our circle of friends amazed. Her leaving has prompted me to try to express myself more clearly and plainly. Funny, it seems in my journal entries I accomplished this quite well long ago. Now if I can just learn how to bring that out in my verbal conversations. 

  
  


My old friends may be gone but the new ones seem to have adequately filled their void. Adam is the one out of the three who understands me the best. I can tell he and I are going to gain almost as close a bond as I held with Trini. Rocky fills Zack's shoes admirably in terms of the humor department. Aisha's fierce loyalty and drive are second only to Tommy. While I'm on Tommy, I have to say I'm glad he is back. There has never been a more self-sacrificing friend. I know he would put himself in danger before he would ever let any of his friends get hurt.

  
  


Out of the original five only Kim and I are left. Kim, my first crush, my second oldest friend, and the one who gave me the idea to start a journal more than three years ago. She has a kindness that is sometimes hard to believe. She was always popular, even when we were young. She never let it go to her head though, through all the years she has stayed one of my most steadfast friends. Kim is the one who would never let me look down on myself. Mentally Trini and I may have been closer, but Kim is the one I always go to for matters of the heart. She has opened my eyes to the attention that it seems girls give me. I never knew any of them saw me in that light before Kim pointed out the signs. I wonder if Trini ever thought of me that way? More thoughts for me to ponder on when next I have freedom to write.

  
  


Sincerely,

  
  


William Cranston

  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Trini, by: Gamine

Dear Diary,  
  
I hate it here.  
  
Why did I ever decide to come? Oh, yes, I remember. My father.  
  
My father is not a worldly man. He does have a very strong belief system, though. His life is saturated with philosophy. Chief among it all would be pacifism.  
  
He hated the Rangers. He thought they were war-mongering vigilantes, no better than the monsters they purported to fight.  
  
I wanted so badly to tell him, to show him that I was making a difference, but I knew if he discovered how I was making that difference he'd be furious. Not that anyone could tell but me. He doesn't go in for emotional displays. "Strong emotion is the refuge of the weak," he says. But I can always tell when I've disappointed him. I've done it often enough. So when he told me I was to apply for the Peace Conference, I did. I wanted, for once, to see him proud of me.  
  
He disapproved of the strong ties I had to my friends. Saw this Peace Conference as an opportunity to sever most of them, make them more manageable, better able to fit into his worldview. Plus he sees me as his contribution to the cause of world peace. I know, in his eyes, I wasn't good enough to be anything else.  
  
I never stopped feeling guilty about it, being a Ranger. So I applied for the Conference to make him proud. Why did I come? To get away.  
  
From my father, yes, and from the constant disapproval, disappointment, call it what you like. From his inability to love me.  
  
I used to wonder whether I was like him: unable to care, unable to connect, and then I met Kim, and I didn't have to worry anymore. I never told her what a gift she gave me, just by letting me be her friend. And then I met Billy, and I knew the answer. I am perfectly capable of love. Strong, steadfast, unyielding love.  
  
I just can't manage to tell him.  
  
~Trini. 


	4. Tommy, by: Ozmandayus

This could turn out really bad. Writing down stuff is so not my style. I would rather tell someone face to face whatever it is I would write down in a diary. Plus, there's my whole politically incorrect view that writing in a diary is a girl thing.  
  
Lord knows I could never, ever say that around Kim. I would never hear the end of it. And she might hit me.  
  
Kimberly.  
  
I write that name down and I am instantly taken back to that Sunday afternoon Martial Arts Expo tournament when I saw her for the first time. Okay, for the record, should this diary ever be read by someone other than me I would like to blame her beauty for the tie and not Jason's ability.  
  
*snicker*  
  
I may have caught her beauty first, but it was her kindness and offering of her friendship that endeared her to me early on. I was the new kid. Couple that with being very, very shy and kind of introverted. Not a good mix at all. Then here was this beautiful girl, absolutely beautiful, and she went out of her way to introduce me to her friends. To make me a part of her group.  
  
And what did I do? I tried to kill her the second day we met. Okay, so I was under a spell. Still doesn't change the fact I tried to do it. To kill her and all her friends.  
  
Dammit, I'm getting off topic already. Talking about myself. This is supposed to be about my friends, not me.  
  
Kimberly sought me out and forced me out of my self-imposed shell. Sometimes it was a sweet smile, other times her pretty eyes, or a slightly rougher tone of her voice that would make my insides do back flips. She wanted to listen when I didn't want anyone to listen. She pushed, shoved, and prodded past my long held loner persona and forced her way into my life.  
  
And I am so much better off for it. I didn't understand the true value of good friends because I never truly had any. If you're lonely enough, long enough you get used to it. But Kimberly refused to let me stay that way. I was a part of her team and I took that seriously. But hanging out with them was not something I was comfortable with early on. And when you take into account my absolute zero knowledge of how to talk to a girl or flirt...  
  
I don't even want to think about it. *smile*  
  
Okay, I loved her early on. Very early on. So early I'm embarrassed to say. And I didn't hide it well. But the funny thing was that if I wasn't so dense I might have noticed that she didn't hide it well either. I never saw that though. I took her gentle shoulder touches and slipped hand written notes as the way she always treated her male friends.  
  
I was so damn wrong. God, I was beyond stupid. Did I not notice that she didn't go out on any dates at all? Or how she always liked to stand next to me? Or that she would give me these looks from across a room that just...  
  
Or the big one. How she would always, always move her gymnastics workout closer to the martial arts area every time I worked out without my shirt on?  
  
Yeah, I was dense.  
  
She stood by me through it all.  
  
Time and time again I lost my powers and fell back into my familiar mode of self-imposed isolation. Time and time again she pulled me out simply because she cared enough. I realized that even if she weren't in love with me she would have done the same. Her last name was what she wore on her sleeve. Kimberly is so very brave, and caring, and amazing and.  
  
Can you tell I love her?  
  
God how I love that girl.  
  
And respect her. She's braver than I am when it comes to exposing emotions. The things I have written so far in this diary represent much more than I could ever say in real life. But Kimberly is different. She can express things better than me. And by doing so, by being the braver of the two of us she sets an example of how not to be afraid to open up.  
  
Had she not made the first move after I lost my Green Ranger powers for the first time I'm not sure where we would be. I couldn't even ask her out without feeling like I was about to die. Here she was, all 110 pounds of my heart in every way, sought me out and told me she missed me. I was so damn excited that it didn't even register how scared she might have been. All I knew was that she opened the door to move away from 'just friendship.  
  
She held my hand when the rage of not being able to help my friends in battle tore me up inside. I just had too much pride back then to ask her to. She did it anyway because she simply understood. She never made me feel weak.  
  
Neither of us had ever been in love before. A more clueless couple could never be. And maybe that was for the best. Outside of that one kiss we had after I lost my powers for the first time we shared four others over the course of a year and a half. The words 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' never came out of our mouths. Now our friends were a different story.  
  
But for me and Kim, we were the best of friends. I told her things I never told anyone. We would talk for hours on end. Late night calls put us to sleep. Whispering when we were supposed to be in bed sleeping.  
  
We pretended to sleep like we pretended that friendship was the only thing between us.  
  
Geez, this is longer than I intended it to be. I just felt like talking about my friendship with Kimberly. It's much easier than talking about my relationship with her. With my other friends I can now better express myself because of Kimberly. My hand extends to new people faster now because I know just how important it is to have that hand extended to you.  
  
All because of Kimberly's friendship. All because of her love.  
  
If she ever reads this I will die of embarrassment. This is so not me. But when the subject is Kimberly I get inspired.  
  
I need it now.  
  
I still can't believe I am the leader of the Power Rangers. But worse than that is the fact that Jason, Trini, and Zack are gone. I lost two brothers and a sister in one day. It's as simple as that.  
  
That night they left, Kimberly, Billy, and I drove out to the mountains and just sat and talked for hours. I held Kim's hand as she spoke about losing her very best friend in the world. Billy all but said out loud that he felt he missed his chance with Trini. Zack's outgoing nature and Jason's quiet confidence and counsel left gaping wounds in all of us.  
  
I'm pretty happy with that last line. It's not often you write something that really gets to you.  
  
Later that night after I dropped off Billy at home, Kimberly and I drove around for a while. We ended up at the park, just sitting on the swings.  
  
We finally said the 'I love you's' that night. It just felt right. I held her as we stared at the stars.  
  
We were both grounded the next day for staying out too late. Nothing sexual happened between us. But we just needed that time together.  
  
Days later three new friends came into our lives. I watched as Kimberly embraced them. She extended her hand to them. Her heart as always.  
  
And because of her, so did I.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Tommy Oliver 


	5. Aisha, by: biggerstaffbunch

The Range of Friendship: Aisha 

By: biggerstaffbunch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi-

Okay I dunno how to start, but Rocko just handed me this paper and his chewed-up pen and he's ordering me to, "Write, woman! Write like your hand is on fire!" - whoa, a visual I so do not need - and I'm tryin' to be coherent _and thoughtful as I write this. Apparently Frog-boy just bet Ape-man his lunch money that I wouldn't write five lines either before bell rings or before I give up, and 'cause I'm highly offended and up for the challenge, here I am._

What to write about? What to say? I'm so bad at this, maybe that's why Adam challenged Rock in the first place. Lord, I already proved the idiots wrong, this is line eight, I can just stop - but wait, no - Rocky is lookin' at me all hopeful, and damn, the boy looks hungry. Jeez, I'll keep writing. Um, topic, topic, 'Sha, _think. Adam is turning around and givin' me encouraging looks even though he could be outta $1.75 if I do this, and that's just him through and through. Adam is all sweetness and shy, bitten-back words. Rocky is more like me, free and unrestrained, not one to hold back. He's sweet in his own way, too, mind you. Always willin' to back a girl up, whether it be physically (though I can hold my own) or in whatever crusade I've been crusadin' for. That's me, loud and proud and for-the-people, utterly bombastic Aisha._

Both of those boys have got some of me in them, which is probably why we're such good friends. Adam always says he's the one to calm me and Rock down when we're on the move, and he's right. He always teases me and says I'm nothing more than a blur nowadays, which is more or less true, only I've got _so _much to worry about that I can't really bring myself to stop moving because then I'll have to face my issues. Adam's pretty much the anchor that holds me down, whether it be when I'm hoping for a new shelter to be built for animals, or if I just need some direction. He's shy, but he's the one with the steady, still-waters-run-deep presence. 

Rocky is my knight-in-arms. He knows better than all the rest of the Rangers (well, besides Kimmie) that I don't need no rescuers, just supporters. Whatever my decision may be, Rocky always backs me up. In fact, I haven't told anyone this yet, (Rock, if you read this, you're the only one who knew) but I don't know if I'm going to college after school. Kimmie'd have a shit-fit if she knew, but the girl doesn't know that I don't see myself going to some hoity-toity university. I see myself helping people, getting stuff done. I confided in Rocky 'cause I knew he'd be the one to support me. Adam would've too, but I didn't need the voice of reason at the exact moment I made up my mind… Rocky was my no-holds-barred right-hand man.

They've always been my best buds, through whatever came at us, and that'll never change. Startin' out here, in the Land of Happy, Shiny People was hard for a Hispanic, Asian, and African American motley crew of kids, but I think it was easier adjustin' 'cause we had each other. I know that whenever I felt the enormity of whatever was comin' my way, all I'd need was Rocky's warm words or Adam's soft smile, and I'd overcome. It's just how my life's built, y'know? Those two and me, we're a little Trio within a group of six. It sometimes feels like us against Kim and Tommy and Billy, and that scares me, but I guess they've got the same past as us. Life as friends, a history so rich that anythin' added is just icing. The others, they're just icing, and I love 'em just the same, but in the end… they're just icing. But my boys, my family of three, they understand me. They _are me. I guess I never really thought of how much I loved my boys, never thought of how content I am when I'm with 'em. Haven't had as much time with 'em recently as I would've liked, I s'ppose._

And now, I'm dashing off my thoughts like a river against rocks, my pen just writing everything I'm feeling. I look at Rocky and Adam and I feel so much pride, and love. The bell's ringin' and the paper is filled, and I'm finishing this off with a flourish, and okay, hardee-har-har… yes, Mr. Park, Mr. DeSantos, I _did need to get this all off my mind. Adam-I'm Empathetic to Your Needs-Park tricked me, the dirty bastard (said lovingly), and I don't like it._

But at least Rocky'll get to eat.

-Love, 'Sha


End file.
